Baserunning blunder costs Pirates in NLDS loss

Baserunning blunder costs Pirates in NLDS loss

Sliding head-first is a much slower way to get somewhere than sprinting. Baserunners slide to avoid tags and to make sure they stick to the base after they run to it, not to get to the base faster.

That’s why sliding into first base is almost always a terrible idea, and why Pirates pinch-runner Josh Harrison’s poorly timed slide possibly cost him a stolen base in a key moment of Monday’s NLDS matchup against the Cardinals.

The caught stealing came in the bottom of the 8th with the Pirates trailing, 2-1. If Harrison gets to second successfully, he represents the tying run in scoring position. And Harrison has good speed and got a pretty good jump on the pitch, but he started sliding way too early and Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is incredible.

The score held, and the Cardinals evened the series at two games apiece.

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